1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a spraying device and method and more specifically to a nozzle manipulating device for the spraying of a pesticide such as a herbicide, for example, along a swath beside a highway or railroad track bed while the spraying equipment is carried on a mobile platform. The device is useful for land-based or aerial spraying of industrial property, rights of way, agricultural lands and forest lands, wherever the mobile platform, or spray vehicle, can go as a practical matter. The greatest usefulness is believed to be in the spraying at rights of way.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applicators using spraying equipment in any such setting must be concerned with achieving adequate coverage of the swath width, sometimes as wide as 40 to 60 feet, while avoiding the formation of fine droplets which are easily carried by slight air movement resulting in "drift" beyond the target area.
Generally attempts to avoid formation of fine droplets while yet achieving uniform coverage of the target area have been directed to moving the discharge nozzle, and/or its support, in a special rotational or oscillational pattern, as well as using specific nozzle orifice designs which minimize the formation of mists and fine droplets. Some of these devices present problems in service life and difficulties in servicing or in achieving uniformity of coverage.
Various approaches are to be found in the devices more fully described in my earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,231,520, 3,931,930 and 3,642,206. Other spraying apparatus is described in my earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,653,598; 3,648,935; 3,523,646; 3,399,638; 3,285,516; 3,220,653; 3,199,786 and 3,170,264.